Poetry and Spirituality, Sunday, May 24,9am, Chapel Meeting Room: One of our resident poets, Paul Thompson, will lead an exploration of the art of matching meter to song and setting poetry to music. All are welcome!
Pentecost Sunday All-Ages Worship, Sunday, May 24, 10am: We will share the story of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, and celebrate the Spirit’s continued action among us. Red is the church’s color for this holy day; consider wearing something red for church! Our 8am service will follow our seasonal order of worship.
Saint Dunstan T-Shirts, $5.00 – BYOS: Bring in a plain T-shirt (at least 60% cotton) that fits you, and the logo “Saint Dunstan: Annoying the Devil since 943” will be applied (in fuzzy blue iron-on vinyl) for $5. Funds raised will go towards purchasing new tubs for our Backpack Snack Pack ministry at Falk Elementary School. Talk to Rev. Miranda with questions. Checks can be placed in the offering plate with “T-shirt” on the memo line.
Church, Faith, & Life Window Questions: Thanks to all who participated in our online survey! As a next step, some questions are posted on the windows in the Gathering Area. Share your thoughts on a Post-It or by writing directly on the question pages. Everyone is encouraged to respond! Questions will be up through May.
Opportunities to Serve…
Grace Shelter Dinner, Sunday, May 24, 7pm: Every fourth Sunday, a loyal group of St. Dunstan’s folk provides dinner for residents at the Grace Church shelter, and breakfast the next morning. See the signup sheet in the gathering area to help out.
Backpacks for Homeless Youth: If you have items for the backpacks, please bring them to the church as soon as possible. We want to get the backpacks packed and ready to go out to the young people who need them, before the end of the school year. Thanks for your generous support!
Join our Vacation Bible School Team! This year’s Vacation Bible School will run from Sunday, August 2, through Thursday, August 6, from 5:30 – 7:30pm. Whether you’d like to help with meals, tell a story or act in a drama, plan an art project or lead a game, or just be an extra big person to help manage little people, we need you. Talk with Rev. Miranda to learn more.
Hoops for Housing Helpers Wanted! Saturday, August 8: St. Dunstan’s is sponsoring a friendly community basketball tournament to raise funds for Briarpatch, which serves homeless youth in the Madison area. All ages and levels of skill are invited to participate. Each team is invited to raise $100 for Briarpatch through donations and pledges. If you’d like to help out with planning, publicity, or on the day itself, talk with Rev. Miranda.
The Weeks Ahead…
Men’s Book Club, Saturday, May 23, 10:00 am, at St Dunstan’s: The book is “A Rule against Murder” by Louise Penny.
Parish Office Closed, Monday, May 25th for Memorial Day. If you need to reach the office, Pamela will be in the office on Tuesday this week instead of Monday.
Outreach Committee Meeting, Saturday, May 31, 8-10:30am: All are welcome to join our conversations about how St. Dunstan’s can best serve the world. We begin with an optional potluck breakfast at 8am.
Sunday, May 31, 9am: Discussing End-Of-Life Choices: The Rev. Pat Size will talk about advance care planning and the importance of conversations about end-of-life care. Pat will also preach that morning. Advance Care Planning is a process of understanding, reflecting on, and discussing future medical decisions regardless of age and current health status. Although sometimes connected to those who are chronically or critically ill, all individuals can express and record their healthcare wishes at any time. Remember, healthcare providers cannot respect your choices if they are not known. Come learn more about the Advance Care Planning process and why it’s important. All are welcome.
General Convention Information Session, Monday, June 1, 6:30pm, St. Dunstan’s: Two information sessions will be conducted in the Diocese in June on topics, potential legislation and events for the convention. Come meet some of the deputies (including our own Rev. Miranda) and learn what they and the Bishop will be working on this summer in Salt Lake City.
Racial Disparities in Dane County – Guest Speaker: Principal Grace Okoli, Wednesday, June 3, 7pm: Principal Okoli is the principal of Falk School, the school we serve with our Backpack Snack Pack ministry and one of the highest-poverty schools in Madison. She will share about the challenges and hopes as she sees them, and take our questions. All are welcome.
St. Dunstan’s Middle School Youth and Parent Gathering, Friday, June 5, 6-8pm: This is a fun gathering, to get kids and adults together socially; and we hope to squeeze in twenty minutes of serious conversation about ideas, hopes, and especially logistics for a middle school youth group, to begin meeting in the fall. Younger and older siblings are welcome to come along for the ride. More details to come. For questions, contact Rev. Miranda at 608-238-2781.
Episcopal 101: General Convention & Episcopal Church Governance, Sunday, June 7, 9am: This summer our denomination holds its triennial gathering, and Rev. Miranda will attend as a deputy from our diocese. Come for an overview of how Episcopal Church governance works, and a whirlwind tour of the matters before General Convention this year. (For a more thorough look at General Convention 2015, come to the gathering on Monday, June 1!)
Parish Picnic, Sunday, June 7, 11:30am: Celebrate summer with food, fellowship, and fun! We’ll have good food and fun activities for all ages, including our Rogation Procession around the grounds, face painting, a photo booth, and more. Please bring a dish to share. Brats and hot dogs (including vegetarian options) and drinks will be provided. The picnic will happen rain or shine. Friends & guests are welcome. A sign-up sheet for set-up and clean-up helpers will be posted in late May.